Best Canon Camera Ranked — Photo, Video, DSLR, Mirrorless

If you are already an experienced photographer or videographer, then you are best off looking further down this list for more advanced camera models. However, if you are a beginner photographer or videographer and looking to purchase your first Canon camera, then the Rebel SL3 is an excellent pick.

This SLR-model camera is extremely intuitive and user friendly. It is easy to pick up and shoot, allowing you to get a feel for the camera quickly and through hands on use rather than tutorials and manuals. You won’t find the most high-tech specs or the most advanced features here, but for a sturdy, versatile camera at an excellent price-point, the Rebel SL3 is a solid pick.

If you are new to photography or videography, take a look at our introductory guides to things like ISO, frame rates, and aperture. And, when you’re ready to get started, take a look at some creative photography ideas for inspiration.

A sizable step up from the SL3 is the EOS M6 Mark II. This is still a beginner-level camera but has a much more robust feature-set and higher image quality for both stills and video. This is a mirrorless camera with a pretty darn good sensor considering the relatively low price.

4k video is possible with the M6 Mark II without too much compromise, and the photography options are quite strong as well. One somewhat-questionable design was the choice to NOT include a built-in viewfinder.

This probably helps keep the cost low, but it also means you will need to purchase a viewfinder separately. The Canon M-series lenses compatible with the M6 Mark II are also pretty far from ideal, and your lens options are fairly limited with this model.

The EOS R5 is a quality offering from Canon and just might be your best pick depending on where your camera priorities lie. The EOS R5 was constructed with a clear focus on stills photography over the camera’s video capabilities.

The video offerings from this camera are far from bad, it is capable of shooting 8K video after all. But there are some drawbacks such as the heat restrictions, and frame rate cap.

If stills are what you’re after, then the EOS R5 has you covered with a full-frame CMOS sensor and 45MP resolution. Learn why full-frame sensors are better than crop sensors.

The EOS-1D X Mark III is one of the most powerful cameras that Canon has ever put out. This dominant power is reflected in the extremely high cost of the camera, which is the main downside and the only major factor preventing this camera from placing higher on the list.

The 1D X Mark III finds plenty of real-world professional use, especially in the world of action and sports photography and videography. This beast can shoot 4K at 60-FPS, can shoot up to 20-FPS stills at 20.1MP, and makes use of a high-quality, full-frame CMOS sensor.

For further explanation of camera sensor sizes, take a look at our breakdown of full-frame sensors vs. APS-C sensors. The 1D X Mark III supports raw video and utilizes the CFExpress card system, even including two CFExpress card slots within the camera to accommodate long and intensive shoots.